KoTA 6C. Out of the Sun.
The patrol was going well as Cpt. Roderick King showed his new squadron rookie Sub Lt. Checkley the lines. They had climbed to about 10,000 feet when they spotted the two German aircraft about 1000 feet below and heading their way. King signalled Checkley and they banked as one and dropped out of the Sun onto the unsuspecting quarry below.
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The first pass was indecisive but forced the Hun machines to break and circle round to try and regain the initiative.
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The protagonists attacked again
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It was a stunning sucess for the RFC.wa because the young Checkley’s first burst sent his antagonist in the Fokker DVII spinning into the ground.
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King recognised his opponent immediately as none other than the Ace Christophe von Rogerstein,
And with a few rounds from his over wing Lewis gun he was gratified to see smoke issuing from the Triplane.
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Both aircraft now turned upon von Rogerstein and engulfed his machine in a hail of lead.
With a lurch and a final splutter from his overheating engine he was forced to glide down to a bumpy landing just inside the German lines. It was all over in a matter of minutes.
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King and Checkley returned to Bentangles with hardly a mark on their aircraft, and one victory a piece to celebrate in the mess that night.
Debrief.
I can only apologise to both Chris who had come up from Northampton for the game, and Dave who had travelled from Westbridgford for the “Bang” card which really set the tenor of the whole sortie.
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I did, however, allow them to get their revenge on me in the next game, which was even shorter as my Nieuport foolishly ran the gauntlet between their aircraft.
This was nine cards into the game. Chris had been on my tail for four of them.
Rob.
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